


The Second Time Apart

by psyraah



Series: The Second Time [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, But hopeful angst, M/M, Season/Series 02 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-19 22:56:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9464228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyraah/pseuds/psyraah
Summary: The first time, Keith had lost both himself and Shiro. But he had survived, stubborn and bitter, and found hope on the other end.He didn't know how he could piece himself together after being broken again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers ahead for Season 2 Finale, this was my immediate reaction after finishing watching. Please enjoy!
> 
> For Sheith Week Unlimited Day 1: Dreamer

Black had let him in. This time, he didn’t even need to ask. After the team had scoured the Castle, used every resource possible to try to find Shiro in the vast darkness of the universe, but found that he was truly gone—

( _not again, Keith couldn’t be broken again, he barely survived the first time_ )

—Keith had dragged himself to Black, still in full armour, and collapsed against her exterior.

“Girl,” he’d said hoarsely. _Please_.

Day of searching, of clinging to dying hope, of screaming, of begging Pidge and Allura to just try to track Shiro down _one more time_. Now, it was just him. Just him, crouched where Shiro had sat just…days ago. Just days ago, and Keith was numb. Nothing was left, just like the first time. Nothing left to show that Shiro had even been here, except for his bayard still slotted in.

Nothing.

Nothing.

 _Nothing_.

Keith had actually thought that things would be okay. He had—how stupid had he _been_? Stupid, stupid, stupid to dream that Shiro would be with him still. To think that they could get out of this alive, to think that they could go _home_ , and just…be.

Pathetic.

He curled closer in on himself, and just stared hollowly at the photo in his hand. Creased from the time that he’d been carrying it around, through that first hellish year, and now this.

It had been the day that Kerberos had been announced—Shiro’s arms strong around Keith shoulders, lifting him up with Keith grinning wildly, Shiro’s hat jammed at an awkward angle on Keith’s head. Shiro’s smile was radiant, and Keith missed it. It—Shiro had needed time, coming back. His smiles had been empty for so long, but then Keith had started to see the spark in his eye a little more, and Shiro’s smiles had come easier. A little closer to what it had been before Kerberos, to how he’d been glowing.

The paper was still smooth against his skin when he ran a thumb over the picture, across Shiro’s cheek. Rough with stubble, Keith knew. Soft when Keith kissed it. Shiro against his skin, Shiro just—Shiro _with_ him. Keith had felt safe with him, and he had—he had hoped that Shiro had felt the same. They had been happy. Happy before, and then…just last week. Just _days_ ago he had had Shiro, he’d started to untangle his past, and—

He had been _happy_.

The tears came slowly—then all at once.

Keith hadn’t asked for this.

He hadn’t asked to love Shiro. He hadn’t asked for Shiro to love him back, for Shiro to be by his side every day, support him. To love him, hold him, befriend him. To love him _love him love him_ —

On a choked sob, he stuffed his hand in his mouth, clenched his eyes shut as though that could stop the hot tears streaming out, as though it could stop how his heart just _ached_. It—it hurt too much. It hurt too much and Keith couldn’t take it, couldn’t take a second time. He couldn’t live like this, and he broke apart in Shiro’s chair, where Shiro was _meant to be_ if only Keith had been faster, if only Keith had been stronger, had done _anything_ —

Around him, Black whined, and Keith just sobbed harder. “I’m sorry,” he tried to say, but it barely sounded past the lump in his throat, the pain that throbbed there. “I’m so sorry.”

But the lights just glowed stronger, before dimming once more. Then there was a feeling from Black, and Keith saw Shiro in mind, with his wide smile and love in his eyes. Keith knew this—he knew this feeling. He knew this warmth, the fullness in heart—

Keith knew what Black felt.

“I know girl,” he said, voice tight with tears. “I love him, too. I love him so much.”

Grief came from Black in waves, and Keith just let himself fall into it. Let himself drown in the fear, in the hopelessness, in his weakness.

 _We are all made from the same cosmic dust_.

If that was true, then how come Shiro wasn’t with him?

If they were one and the same, if Shiro’s heart beat with his own as he had believed on those warm nights curled up in bed together, how was it that he had been able to protect himself, but not Shiro? Because Keith hadn’t saved him. Shiro had trusted him, and Keith hadn’t saved him. Wherever he was now, Shiro was alone, and the only thing that ached more was the thought that somewhere else ( _still alive still alive still alive_ ), Shiro had the same pain.

Yet, Voltron needed time to regroup, Allura needed to recover. Tomorrow, she had promised hollowly, when Keith had turned to her with desperate rage. Tomorrow they would keep searching. And tomorrow, Keith would. Keith would scour the depths of the universe, and the one next to it, to find Shiro again.

But it could all be in vain. It could all go away so quickly, was already gone, but Keith _had to know_. He wouldn’t stop looking, but Shiro could—Shiro could be gone.

So for one night, he let himself curl up where Shiro used to be, and break apart as his love burned him to ashes and the dust of broken dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos would make me the happiest. Can also be shared on [tumblr](http://psytrron.tumblr.com/post/156438131364/post-s2-sad-fic) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/starchydreams/status/824924504849649664) which would also make me super glad! Talking about sheith makes me happy :)


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